Post by earl on Apr 9, 2008 12:51:47 GMT
Brian Cowen, the Irish prime minister in waiting, was today unveiled as the party leader-designate of Fianna Fail outside the Dail parliament in Dublin.
Cowen, who represents the Laois-Offaly constituency, will be appointed as the Taoiseach when Bertie Ahern formally stands down on May 6.
The 48-year-old said he was "very excited" to become the seventh leader of the ruling party since it was founded by Eamon de Valera in 1926.
"This is Brian Cowen's day," the justice minister, Brian Lenihan, said. "It's also a fantastic occasion for the party and the country.
"There is a sense of celebration and great satisfaction that the party has been left in such good shape by Bertie Ahern. It is a united party with great cohesion."
Today's smooth transition of power was a marked contrast to the bitter leadership battles that followed the fall of the former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey in 1992.
Warm tributes were paid to Ahern at last night's weekly Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting, which lasted for several hours.
Ahern - who has won praise for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process and Ireland's economic boom - resigned last month following controversy about his personal finances.
Cowen, a trained solicitor, was always the runaway favourite to succeed him, and all the other potential candidates ruled themselves out in order to back his candidacy.
He first entered the Irish parliament at the age of 24 in 1984 following the death of his father - also a Fianna Fail politician - and became part of the cabinet eight years later.
He has since held several senior portfolios, including foreign affairs, health and finance.
A no-nonsense politician, Cowen earned the nickname Biffo because of his combative persona but is hugely popular with the electorate and his own party.
Cowen, who represents the Laois-Offaly constituency, will be appointed as the Taoiseach when Bertie Ahern formally stands down on May 6.
The 48-year-old said he was "very excited" to become the seventh leader of the ruling party since it was founded by Eamon de Valera in 1926.
"This is Brian Cowen's day," the justice minister, Brian Lenihan, said. "It's also a fantastic occasion for the party and the country.
"There is a sense of celebration and great satisfaction that the party has been left in such good shape by Bertie Ahern. It is a united party with great cohesion."
Today's smooth transition of power was a marked contrast to the bitter leadership battles that followed the fall of the former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey in 1992.
Warm tributes were paid to Ahern at last night's weekly Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting, which lasted for several hours.
Ahern - who has won praise for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process and Ireland's economic boom - resigned last month following controversy about his personal finances.
Cowen, a trained solicitor, was always the runaway favourite to succeed him, and all the other potential candidates ruled themselves out in order to back his candidacy.
He first entered the Irish parliament at the age of 24 in 1984 following the death of his father - also a Fianna Fail politician - and became part of the cabinet eight years later.
He has since held several senior portfolios, including foreign affairs, health and finance.
A no-nonsense politician, Cowen earned the nickname Biffo because of his combative persona but is hugely popular with the electorate and his own party.